Day 2 Tracker | Follow along with the Sabres' 2026 picks

Day 2 of the NHL Draft is underway at KeyBank Center with the Buffalo Sabres scheduled to make three picks:

• 4th round, 124th overall
• 5th round, 156th overall
• 6th round, 188th overall

Buffalo opened the draft on Friday with two first-round selections, adding defenseman Daxon Rudolph with the fourth-overall pick and forward Ilia Morozov with pick No. 20.

Coverage of Rounds 2-7 begins at 11 a.m. on NHL Network. Follow this page throughout the day for information on each member of Buffalo’s Class of 2026.

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Round 1, Pick 4 | Daxon Rudolph – RHD, Prince Albert (WHL)

Buffalo started the draft by adding a high-scoring, right-handed defenseman to their pipeline. Rudolph ranked third among WHL defensemen with 78 points last season and will begin his collegiate career next season at the University of Denver.

Along with his size and physicality, general manager Jarmo Kekäläinen said the Sabres came away impressed with Rudolph’s hockey sense.

Read more about Rudolph’s journey to becoming the No. 4 pick here.

Round 1, Pick 20 | Ilia Morozov – F, Miami University (NCAA)

The Sabres had Morozov higher than 20th on their list – so much so that they considered trading up into the teens to select him.

The draft ended up falling in their favor. Morozov is a hardworking, two-way centerman who was one of the youngest players in college hockey last season. He scored 20 points in 36 games with Miami University – solid scoring output for a 17-year-old in college – but his work ethic bleeds into all aspects of his journey. He moved from Russia to North America at age 14 to pursue his NHL dream, is a gym rat who ranked among the best fitness testers at the combine and is an A student in college despite having to overcome a language barrier.

Speaking to Sabres Live ahead of the draft, TSN’s Craig Button compared to Morozov to Carolina Hurricanes captain Jordan Staal.

Round 4, Pick 124

Round 5, Pick 156

Round 6, Pick 188